“Ask Gran for one for Christmas.”
She giggles. “All right.”
Once Marissa’s fed, I put her in front of Netflix. “I’m going to make sure all your stuff’s packed,” I tell her.
“It is,” she says, eyes glued toFuller House.
I head down the hall to my room and knock softly before opening the door. Halston is seated on the edge of the bed, her knees drawn up to her chin. Thankfully, she’s pulled my t-shirt over her legs, blocking anything of interest, or I’d be in trouble.
“You’re awake,” I say. “How do you feel?”
“A little hungover.” She glances behind me. “I was going to shower, but I didn’t want to make noise.”
“Kendra’ll be here any minute, so I’m going to get Marissa’s things and take her downstairs. Get some water from the fridge. You know where the shower is.”
She smiles with closed lips. “Is it still okay that I’m here? Or do you want me to go?”
I close the door behind me and walk over to her. When her text woke me last night, I’d panicked. I was sure she’d come in here, find Marissa, and run for the hills. Halston is only twenty-five. She doesn’t need to get involved with a man who has an eight-year-old kid. But, selfishly, I didn’t want to turn her away. Luckily, her drunkenness had given me an excuse to make her stay.
“The weekend’s just starting,” I say. “If you go now, I’ll be extremely upset.”
She bites her bottom lip. “Extremely?”
“I’ve slept next to you twice and kept my hands to myself.” Lifting her chin with my knuckle, I free her lip with my thumb to lean in and kiss her. “I don’t want to keep my hands to myself anymore. When I get back up here, be ready.”
She shivers, actually shivers, and grips the hem of the t-shirt in two fists. “I’ll be waiting.”
Her words go directly to my cock, her gaze even dropping for a split second. I leave the room to avoid a boner that’ll make my encounter with Kendra very awkward.
With her overnight bag in tow, I take Marissa out front. A shiny, black Audi S3 idles at the curb. Kendra gets out of the passenger’s side. I give Kendra’s boyfriend a cursory wave. He’s been a source of contention between us since Kendra introduced him to Marissa five weeks after their first date. Seemed to me Marissa shouldn’t’ve been meeting anyone I hadn’t met. But I have no problem with him as a person.
“How was the show?” I ask.
She takes Marissa’s bag. “Fine. I just can’t believe you forgot.”
“Oh, okay. We’re still on this.” I squat down to Marissa’s level. “Thanks for coming over, sweetie. I’ll see you in a couple weeks?”
She frowns. “Didyou forget, Dad?”
“Of course not.” I glare daggers up at Kendra. “Mom’s just teasing. Go get in the car.” I kiss her on the forehead.
When she turns and walks away, I stand. “I’m not naïve enough to think you don’t make me the bad guy when I’m not around, but don’t ever do that to me while she’s standing here.”
“I show up at your door last night, and you look completely shocked. What father forgets one out of the four nights a month he gets with his daughter?”
“Five nights,” I correct.
“No. Last night counted as one of your days.”
“When you asked for this favor, you called it an extra night.”
“That was when I thought I was doingyoua favor by giving you more time with your daughter. Apparently, I was just shitting on your weekend plans—”
“That’s bull.”
“So I changed my mind.”
“Come on, Kendra.” I rub my temples with one hand. I don’t need this headache right before I spend my first weekend with Halston. “You’re going to make me split up my weekend with her? You’re turning me into a deadbeat dad against my will.”
